Treatment of sulfid ores containing zinc.



RALPH W. E. MACIVOR, OF LONDON, ENGLAND RATION LIMITED, OF LON DON, ENGLAND, AN

R TO METALS EXTRACTION CORPO- INCORPORATED COMPANY.

, ASSIGNO TREATMEN OF SULFID ORES CONTAININ ZINC.

Application filed February 2,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH WAL O EMERSON MAC- IVOR, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at London, England, have invented certain new and 5 useful Improvements in the Treatment of Sulfid Ores ContainingZinc; and I do hereby declare the following to he a full, clear, and exact description of the in- .vention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Theore is first slowly roasted at dull red heatand under known conditions favorable to the conversion of as much as possible of the zinc in the ore into soluble sulfates of zinc leaving the remainder of the zinc in the ore as oxid of zinc to be extracted in the manner hereafter described. The roasted ore is then lixiviated withpreferably-boiling water to dissolve out the zinc sulfate, and this solution after settling is run off into tanks where it is mixed with a solution of calcium chlorid when calcium sulfate is produced and precipitated, and the same time the chlorid of zinc formed passes into solution. The latter is run off from the precipitate and is the special means employed in dissolving outthe zinc remaining in the lixiviated ore in the state of oxid. To carry out this part, it is necessary that the ore should be digested in the solution of zinc chlorid at boiling point for a time dependent on the quality and quantity of the material under treatment, and of the strength of the solution. If this operation is properly carried out, the chlorid of zinc in solution will become an oxychlorid of approximately ZnCI BZnO. To this solution is added either slaked Specification of Letters Patent.

cient quantity to comple Patented Aug. 13, 1907. 1906. Serial No. 299,180.'

lime, carbonate of lime, magnesia, or soda ash, in suilitcly decompose the zinc chlohydrate or carbonate of zinc (1 free from chlorid and dealt for the production of spelter. of its zinc contents is treated nd other metals, it may conng proccsses.- s process consists in completely 40 sulfid ore at a high temperature hole of the zinc in the ore into oxid of uently digesting the ore in chlorid of form the oxychlorid in the manner ention, what I desire rid. The precipitate of so formed is finally wasln with by known processes The ore aiter the removal for lead, silver, copper, a tain, by the usual smelti A modification of thi dead roasting the zinc to convert the W zinc and subseq zine solution to described.

Having now described my inv tolclaim is I The process of extracting zinc from suliid ores containing the same. which consists in converting by heat the zinc contained in the ore into soluble sulfate of zinc and oxid of zinc. washing out the soluble sulfate with water. adding to the solution thus obtained calcium chlorid. drawing oil the solution of chlorid of zinc so formed. adding 7 "d of zinc, decomposing said oxychlorid by an alkaline hydrate, and removing the precipitated zinc compound and washing the same, substantially as described.

In witness where )f I have he reuntosei: my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

RALPH W. E. MACIVOR. Witnesses Fnnnnmv lnmcn, II. I). JAMESON. 

